Issue 10, Volume 116-- October 28, 2020

THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS’ STUDENT NEWSPAPER

SINGLE COPY PAID FOR BY STUDENT PUBLICATION FEE

WEDNESDAY

OCTOBER 28, 2020 Volume 116 — Issue 10

ucanews.live TODAY’S FORECAST CONWAY

Campus Life:

Entertainment:

Sports:

March to the Polls: Bears at the Ballot led students to voting site to cast votes.

New Release: The new “Rebecca” is a poor rendition of the original.

Women’s Soccer Bears win 1-0 against Missouri State

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Programs asked to spread out scheduling

Rain

58/46 THE NEWSDESK FROM THE ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Chileans vote to rewrite constitution Around 78% of Chileans voted to rewrite their constitution, which was created in the 1980’s by dictator Augusto Pinochet.

The new constitution will be drafted by a democratrically elected body composed of equal numbers of men and women. The referendum came after protestors took to the street in response to a hike in metro fares, quickly turning into a movement against inequality and high living costs. Demands included reforms to privatized education, health and pension sectors.

N AT I O N A L Barrett appointed to Supreme Court

By Lauren McLemore Senior Writer

The recently created Expanded Scheduling Working Group has recommended that departments make adjustments to their spring 2021 class schedule to reduce student numbers during the 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. hours and allow for more social distancing in the midst of COVID-19.

The ad hoc working group was created by UCA Provost Patricia Poulter and charged with a number of specific goals related to scheduling adjustments.

“There are many reasons to look at a more distributed schedule, but our immediate goals are trying to find ways that classes can utilize larger classrooms so that we can have more face-to-face class meetings and observe physical distancing, and also to alleviate crowding in hallways, stairwells and common areas between classes,” Poulter said.

The list of recommendations were released in a report Oct. 8. According to that report, the recommendations listed should not be interpreted as policy, but rather as “coursescheduling guidance intended to ensure UCA students receive quality instruction and maintain satisfactory academic progress

Amy Coney Barrett is set to be confirmed as the ninth Supreme Court justice Monday. Barrett will be President Trump’s third appointed Supreme Court justice.

while mitigating the spread of COVID-19,” and they are “intended to be implemented at the discretion of the various departments.”

The report contained data confirming that most sections and enrollment occurred on the standard Monday, Wednesday, Friday (MWF) or Tuesday, Thursday (TR) blocks of days, particularly at the undergraduate level. The classes that are scheduled from 9 a.m. to 12:59 p.m. account for nearly three quarters of undergraduate enrollment. This is defined as the peak period.

While the expectation was that multi-section courses would be spread over the course of the day, that was not the case.

According to the report, “high-enrollment, multi-section undergraduate courses were just as likely to be scheduled during peak times on MWF and TR as other undergraduate courses, with 70% of sections and 73% of enrollment occurring during peak times. However, there was considerable range, with some courses (e.g., BIOL 1400) less likely to be offered during the peak period (45%) and some courses (e.g., PHYS 1400) only offered during the peak period (100%).”

In UCA’s 15 highestenrolled buildings, which

accounted for 94% of undergraduate enrollment, most sections and enrollment occurred during peak times, but ranged from 52% in Doyne Hall to 92% in Old Main, with a median of 73%. The working group concluded, because of this data, there is likely considerable open space in these buildings during non-peak times — outside of the 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. range.

Stephen Addison, dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (CNSM), has overseen changes to schedules in his departments already.

Because CNSM Department of Geography Chair Stephen O’Connell served on the working group, he was able to provide Addison and others with insight into recommendations that were being made before the report officially came out.

“The report was one of the things we’re taking into account,” Addison said. “We’re looking at many, many different options and, undoubtedly, we’ll probably be making changes up until the day before classes start.”

Addison said the sciences can’t afford to omit content from their courses because the next course often assumes that the student knows all the material that was in the previous course.

This leaves the college with the challenge of extending classes

throughout the day.

Although CNSM buildings host classes throughout the day as it is, it’s getting students to be interested in non-peak hour classes that is difficult, because students tend to prefer peak hours.

“Increasing the number [of classes] at 8 a.m. won’t impact the enrollment at all, because we can successfully always schedule 8 a.m. classes, so we’ve increased that a little,” Addison said. “The ones that start at 3 and 4 p.m. are more problematic, because we’ve actually tried to expand in past years and found that some of those classes will only fill after all the other ones have filled. So we aren’t looking to add things at 4 p.m. on [TR] days, because we know students traditionally have not been interested in those classes.”

Addison said the classes being offered at peak times won’t go away, but when considering whether to add more sections, the expectation is existing enrollment would be more evenly distributed over more sections.

As far as hybrid classes, Addison said “the majority of our laboratory classes have been meeting face to face for the lab sections, and we haven’t any issues with those classes. … We’ve gone through our buildings and looked to see [if we

OZ ART

G R A D U AT I O N

Fall commencement will adhere to CDC guidelines

by Olivia Snelson

Young voters turn out for 2020 election

Over 58.6 million Americans have casted ballots already, surpassing 2016’s total for early voting with over a week left before election day.

According to the AP, 25% of the total ballots already cast are from younger voters. Analysts predict that this could possibly be the highest turnout in a U.S. presidential election since 1908.

S TAT E

COVID-19 numbers continue to increase Arkansas contact tracers are falling further behind every week in trying to reach people who were exposed to COVID-19.

The number of unreachable persons rose from 493 to 1105 from Sept. 5 to Oct. 17. The two main contact tracing agencies in Arkansas reported they can’t reach an increasing number of known contacts. The vendors are continually working to improve their services.

WHAT’S AHEAD IN OUR NEXT ISSUE The PROUDCAST series discusses the Making Gay History podcast.

Staff Writer

photo courtesy of newsbreak.com

The ARkanvas program will be in multiple Arkansas cities.Artist Alexis Diaz is expected to paint Conway’s mural for the ARkanvas program. Diaz began painting Oct. 21 at the Conway block plant.

ARkanvas program arrives to Conway

By Andrew McMahan Staff Writer

The OZ Art ARkanvas program, curated by JUSTKIDS, is beginning to make its presence known in a handful of Arkansas cities. The ARkanvas program is a program thats main interest and goal is to bring more cultural appreciation for art to multiple different communities in the state of Arkansas. The theme of the ARkanvas is to “unite.”

OZ Art, the organization based out of Northwest Arkansas in charge of putting together the ARkanvas program, describes themselves as a platform that allows artists to unveil their artistic abilities. They are partnered with The Unexpected, another group who works to bring art and culture to Arkansas. The curators of the project, JUSTKIDS, is a women led art curator and art production house that does work all around the world.

OZ Art was created in 2017

by Steuart, Olivia and Tom Walton. OZ Art is bringing in world renowned artists to partake in ARkanvas. While the headquarters of OZ Art is in Bentonville, their ARkanvas

program will be in their home base as well as seven other communities in the state of Arkansas. The work that the artists will be doing in these communities will be in the form of murals.

“We wanted to do something to celebrate the arts, support artists and create some excitement in our communities during this incredibly challenging time,” project leader Olivia Walton told ARkanvas.com. “We love that murals bring art to everyone, and we hope that these projects will inspire, spark conversation and promote civic unity.”

Conway is a local destination for ARkanvas. ARkanvas will also visit Rogers, Springdale, Fort Chaffee (Fort Smith/ Greenwood), Hot Springs, Pine Bluff, Little Rock and Stuttgart.

Bentonville has four locations that ARkanvas will be hosted at, including one that is already complete. Conway will be having a mural painted on the Conway block plant, which began on Oct. 21. The Conway block plant is expected to be renovated office space in the near future. The artist in charge of the Conway mural is Alexis Diaz.

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can] appropriately social distance to offer the face-to-face classes, if that’s what students want, and in some instances, the answer is yes.”

He said the majority of classes, however, are still recorded and available online.

School of Communication (SoC) Director Donna Stephens said many of the SoC departments had also made changes before the report’s official release.

“I had already asked people to consider extending their days and so we have added, for the spring, a 7:30 [a.m. class] and another 8 [a.m. class] and we’ve added some in the afternoon as well, so we have stretched ours out,” Stephens said. “We have more asynchronous opportunities that also extend the day for us.”

While Addison described noticing students not taking afternoon classes because of their work schedule, Stephens said that along with working students, some students are also athletes with schedules that don’t allow them to attend afternoon classes.

This may be why the 7:30 a.m class has been offered in the past.

“As I understand it, it was originally for athletes, because they can’t go beyond whatever time in the afternoon for practice,” Stephens said, when asked if the 7:30 a.m. class was expected to be successful.

6 4Opinion 4Entertainment 7 5, 8 4Sports

“Public art has the ability to be iconic and impact a city’s economy,” Runway Group LLC Vice President told KARK.com.

“With a focus on art and culture, people look to experience the creative side of a community like they do here in Conway.”

Runway, ARkanvas partner, works to improve the quality of life in Arkansas through different initiatives such as ARkanvas.

The artists of each of these works will be doing research on what type of theme would be most appropriate for the community.

In the first completed mural in Bentonville, the mural theme was based around biking because of how much biking means to the Bentonville community.

“When the private sector invests in downtown, the entire community benefits,” Conway Area Chamber President told KARK.com.

“And when organizations like OZ Art invest in your downtown, people around the country take notice.”

To keep up with the local ARkanvas project in Conway as well as the other projects around the state, find the ARkanvas website at arkanvas.com.

Fall commencement will be held at the end of this semester on Friday, Dec. 11 and Saturday, Dec. 12 in the Farris Center on campus. However, the ceremony will look a little different this year.

Provost and Executive Vice President of UCA Academic Affairs Patricia Poulter said commencement will be split up into five different ceremonies. “We will hold five commencement ceremonies, two graduate school ceremonies (Friday evening and Saturday evening) and three undergraduate ceremonies, to ensure we are able to accommodate physical distancing requirements on the floor for the students,” Poulter said.

Each of these five ceremonies will be approximately 45 minutes long.

Normally, the ceremonies are about an hour long. Because all ceremonies must meet the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) guidelines for events, and must be approved by them, “We will submit a plan to the ADH that outlines all of our mitigation plans, how we will physically distance, maximum number of people and so forth. These guidelines comply with all CDC guidelines as well,” Poulter said.

Between each of these ceremonies, spaces will be

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sanitized to keep up with these guidelines.

Students who are graduating will be allowed to have guests. “Each student will receive four tickets for their guests, thereby controlling the maximum number of people that can attend each ceremony to ensure we are able to accommodate physical distancing requirements in the stands. Every person must wear a face covering for the entirety of the event,” Poulter said.

Face coverings will also be provided to anyone who shows up without one. Because of physical distancing requirements, “there can be no more than 140 graduates at each ceremony.”

The decision whether or not to have a fall commencement ceremony was a very important one to make. “We know that graduation ceremonies are an important and vital part of the student experience.

It is an outward showing of the accomplishment of the student, and a way to celebrate a significant milestone,” Poulter said.

“As we have learned how to host some larger campus events such as concerts at the Reynolds Performance Hall, and athletic events at the Stadium and in the Farris Center, we realized we could also, with careful planning, be able to hold commencement

The Echo

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2/October 28, 2020

Police Beat

The following information is compiled from UCAPD incident reports

by Assistant News Editor Kaitlin Benight

Student caught in money scam

Amenan Ouattara received a call from a woman claiming to be from the Social Security Administration on Oct. 19, claiming she needed to go to Walmart and wire $1000 or she would be in trouble with the law. Ouattara wired the money and gave out personal information. She was advised to report to the FTC.

Ceremony:

Town hall addressed College of Education’s efforts toward equity

Couple caught up in a few charges

Student charged with DWI

By Haley Melendez

Siyaisha Stewart arrested for domestic battery in the third degree after assaulting her boyfriend Xavier Marshall.

Stewart threw a Yeti-like bottle at Marshall’s head and punched him in the mouth after they had been pushing each other around.

She refused to give him his phone back because Marshall had broken hers a few days prior and she wanted it repaired.

Stewart was taken to Faulkner County Unit 2 and served with a no-contact order. Marshall, having been banned from campus on Jan. 5, was given a citation for criminal trespass.

Both were charged given a drug violation for marijuana.

Officer Phillip Boyd stopped a blue Toyota Corolla on Oct. 24 after the vehicle struck a curb twice and veered into the middle of the road before correcting and hitting the curb a third time. Upon pulling the vehicle over, Boyd noticed the front passenger side quarter panel was completely peeled back and sticking straight out from the vehicle, as well as a front flat tire. Darren Mikel left Bear’s Den drunk and completely failed his field sobriety test, blowing a .18 on a breathalyzer. Mikel was charged with driving while intoxicated, leaving the scene of an accident and careless driving.

College of Education Dean Vicki Groves-Scott addressed the work toward racial equity that has been happening to the College of Education for the past year at a town hall meeting Wednesday, Oct. 21. UCA’s College of Education held the meeting to answer and address students’ questions and concerns.

The faculty and staff of the College of Education department have been going through intensive professional development to help boost confidence and encourage a more diverse and equal environment.

After addressing the main reason as to why the town hall was hosted, the dean presented the action plans that they developed during the summer related to racial

UCA will hold in-person commencement

4Continued from page 1 ceremonies.”

When campus closed down last spring due to the COVID-19 crisis, the commencement ceremonies that were planned in May were moved to online.

Instead, each student’s

name organized by college was shown on a screen of anyone who was watching the video.

In August those students were finally allowed to have an in-person ceremony that followed social distancing

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Assistant Campus Life Editor

guidelines.

Students weren’t allowed to shake President Davis’ hand, but they still got to walk across that stage. Any student graduating in December will be awarded this same opportunity.

inequity. These plans include professional development for faculty supervisors to better prepare them to support candidates of color, diversity training for all College of Education faculty to manage difficult conversations and the recruitment and hiring of more diverse faculty.

Additionally, they are working with elementary and special education programs to develop, and now, require a new class on diversity and equity. There are also plans to bring more diverse settings to meet the required field placements As for the last action plan, the new administrative position takes care of the strategic equity plan, the equity audit of the curriculum and policy, as well as activating the Humility campaign and starting a new student group.

Before ending her part

of the presentation, GrovesScott introduced and selected Candice Barnes as the Distinguished Equity Fellow of the education department. “[Barnes’] administrative position is being funded by a grant we received,” GrovesScott said.

Barnes then got into details regarding the new COE strategic Equity Plan.

Before closing the meeting, they had the opportunity to listen to some students comments and had them answer some sample questions.

Barnes encouraged the students to add feedback.

“What would your ideal COE look like, feel like, and sound like, and how close are we to achieving that ideal equity culture?” Barnes said.

For more information you can visit the college of education webpage at uca. edu/education/.

RECOGNITION

SGA

President Davis commends UCA’s response to pandemic

by Kaitlin Benight Assistant News Editor

President Houston Davis and Vice President for Student Services Ronnie Williams spoke at Monday’s SGA meeting, praising the university’s response to COVID-19 and outlining steps being taken to keep students and faculty safe.

“Our student body has responded in an incredible way in doing what you need to do when you’re on campus. Everyone is following the protocols that we outlined, and individuals are safe engaging in activities,” Davis said.

He also mentioned the continual need to test, trace, quarantine, isolate, wear masks and socially distance going into the spring and summer, and quite possibly next fall, semesters. Davis

said he felt really good about what the university can accomplish if we keep following guidelines.

The Student Health Center has developed and trained a team of contact tracers and has implemented aggressive testing protocols for faculty, staff and students.

Additionally, the pandemic planning committee spoke with President Davis about opening more rooms for group studying. Four big rooms in Old Main and two in the student center will be open and have extended hours closer to finals week.

Bear Advocacy Group will be handing out hot chocolate outside the Student Center on Friday, Oct. 30. The group is helping students go over last minute tips and information

about what is going to be on the ballot. On-campus voting will be in the Farris center.

On Wednesday, Oct. 28, the safety and wellness committee will be hosting Managing Anxiety with COVID-19, via zoom, in conjunction with the Counseling Center, at 6 p.m.

The laptop initiative, originally only available to first-time freshman, is now available to upperclassmen who were enrolled at UCA in Spring 2020. Applications can be found online at uca. edu/studentsupport/ laptop-initiative.

The Student Government Association would also like to encourage faculty and staff to grant leniency to students who might be stuck in voting lines on Nov. 3.

photo of lrculturevulture.com

UCA history professor David Welky published in Washington Post for the second time for his piece “Roosevelt lied about this piece about his health in the 1944 election—with stark consequences.” Welky has been on staff at UCA since 2002.

PRESCRIPTION DRUG TAKE BACK UCA history professor, Welky, published in Washington Post

by Ashley Savage Sports Editor

photo by Rob Davis

UCAPD and the Drug Enforcement Administration held their semi-annual Prescription Drug Take-Back Event, allowing people to anonymously release any unwanted or expired prescription medication from their homes, on Saturday, Oct. 24 from 10 am to 2 pm.

“The idea is to give everyone a safe and anonymous way to discard unused or expired medication,” UCAPD’s Sgt. Michael Hopper said. “While we do not see an abundance of possession of illegal prescription drug cases here on campus, we do know that two-thirds of all prescription drugs illegally obtained came from someone’s home. So it is important to be able to provide the community a safe way to dispose of medication that is no longer needed to help keep it off the streets and out of the wrong hands.” UCAPD was able to collect 18 pounds of unused medication from the event, with all of it being sent to the DEA for disposal. If you were not able to make it Saturday, you can access the drop box 24-hours-a-day. The drop box is located at the main entrance to UCAPD.

UCA history professor David Welky’s Oct. 13 publication in the Washington Post is not the first time his work has landed on a popular news platform.

His latest piece for the Post, titled “Roosevelt lied about his health in the 1944 election—with stark consequences,” premiered in the paper’s online version. Welky’s article, “FDR’s final speech has lessons for managing the coronavirus crisis,” was also published for the Post back in April.

“I guess I just see these pieces as part of a broader effort to inform the public,” Welky said. “All professors do that, and most never get anything near the credit they deserve. In this case, I’m getting far more credit than I deserve.”

The 20th-century American historian has been published in the New York Times, the St. Louis PostDispatch, the Memphis Commercial Appeal and on other various news platforms in his time here at UCA. Additionally, Welky’s book, A Wretched and Precarious Situation: In

Search of the Last Arctic Frontier (W. W. Norton, 2016) was published in 2016. This is one of the twelve books that the wellversed author has edited/ written.

Nonetheless these accomplishments are accompanied by other awards that highlight Welky for his extensive day-to-day efforts as a history professor.

This included being named the “Outstanding faculty member in the College of Liberal Arts” and winning UCA’s Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity Award.

“I try to take some pride in knowing that I approach every day of class like it’s my last day,” Welky said. “Students might not be totally into what I do, and they might find me personally irritating, or too tough, or whatever, but I don’t think you’ll find many who say I didn’t give 100% every day of class.”

The well-accomplished author and professor began his professional endeavors here in Conway back in 2002.

“Prior to 2002 I could not have named a single place in Arkansas besides Little Rock,” Welky said. “There’s a lot of disappointment and ‘no’ out there, so I feel

incredibly fortunate to be here, especially because my colleagues in the department and the college are spectacular.”

For Welky, his approach to each day is with an attitude that can only be defined as humble.

“I don’t want to sound like I don’t care or anything.

Affirmation is nice. It’s nice to see your name in print,” Welky said. “But, I get the same feeling from publishing something that I get when a class goes exceptionally well.”

It’s evident that Welky’s efforts to educate the public, whether it be in an article on the Washington Post or in Irby Hall, rank high on his priorities. However, the St. Louis native manages to find ways to keep his head above water, outside of the classroom.

“I’m a pretty big movie geek. I used to play guitar, badly, but now I listen to other people play guitar,” Welky said. “I also used to enjoy traveling, back when that was a thing.”

If you have any questions for professor Welky and the publication endeavors he’s pursued or any of his courses, you can find him via email, due to COVID-19, at dwelky@uca.edu.

Campus Life

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October 28, 2020

Around Campus: Statues on the Lawn 10:00a.m to 4:00p.m., Oct 27, Colleges Against Cancer and the UCA Relay for Life Planning Committee will display human statues on the lawn in front of the Student Center. Stop by to vote on the statues.

Homecoming Pep rally 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Oct. 27, join the Bear Den’s homecoming pep rally live stream that will be streamed by Channel 6 via Vimeo. Check out cubconnect for more information.

Photo by Ian Lyle

The PrOuDCAST Series 6:30p.m. to 8:00p.m, Oct. 27, join LGBTQIA+ and Torreyson Library via Zoom to watch Hillary Anderson discuss the Making Gay History pocast.

Meeting ID: 859 2631 1703

Boom Boom Bingo 6:30p.m. to 3:00p.m., Oct 28, join the Office of Diversity and Community via Zoom for a bingo game with $2,000 worth of prizes. RSVP on cubconnect to receive the Zoom link and password.

Pumpkins for PSK 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Oct. 29, join Phi Sigma Kappa in front of the Student Center.

Each sorority has painted a pumpkin. Beside each pumpkin will be a jar where students can donate money to the sorority whose pumpkin they like best.

Day of the Dead Sugar Skull Decorating 6:30p.m. to 8:00p.m., Oct. 26, join the Latino Student Association and decorate a sugar skull while you learn about Día de los Muerto.

Students can enter their skull in a contest to win a prize.

Senior Greta Hacker wears a mask to promote voting at UCA. Hacker was an organizer of the March to the Polls event, led by Bears at the Ballot, where the masks were provided to students that attended.

First March to the Polls plants seeds for the future of voting on campus

by Ian Lyle Opinion Editor

Bears at the Ballot, part of the Andrew Goodman Foundation, led about 37 students in a “March to the Polls” from the university to a local voting site to cast votes, Thursday, Oct. 22.

Students were provided masks that said “I am a voter,” made signs voicing their opinions on voting, and were escorted by UCAPD, who temporarily blocked off streets.

The group marched from the courtyard in front of Old Main to the Conway Regional Health System, where voting took place.

Along the way, students raised signs to promote voting and yelled various chants about seeking change.

Being the first March to the Polls event on campus, event organizers, seniors Greta Hacker and Javier Hernandez, found the march

12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. from Oct. 21 to Oct. 29, UCA Theatre is offering free headshots in the Snow Fine Arts Center. Make an appointment online on cubconnect.

Race/Caste - Faith in the Time of Social Justice 5:30p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Oct. 29, join the Department of Philosophy and Religion for a panel intended to decolonize interfaith dialogue. Register for the event on cubconnect, or view it on the Union Theological Seminary’s Facebook page.

LGBTQ+ Seminar

3:00 p.m. to 4:00p.m., Oct. 30 University Training and Bear X will host a seminar to educate employees and students on the LGBTQ+ community.

Participants are required to register at uca.edu/training/ educational-seminars/lgbtqseminars/

involvement in organizing the event was the lack of voting on campus.

“We know that on our campus in the 2018 midterms we had a voting rate of about 30%, which we see as pretty unacceptable,” Hacker said.

As for making voting fun, Hernandez said they provided the signs because they “just speak truth and power.”

“It really just shows other people that - yes, young people are engaged in voting, and yes, we actually care about policy, and yes, we care about social issues,” He said.

“We have been noticing that young people have been voting kind of as an act of protest because they see there are a lot of societal issues with current administration or they see things that they are upset about,” Hacker said, explaining her reasoning for providing signs.

“We’ve been evoking the civil rights movement,”

Hacker said. “A lot of people have been doing that with the police brutality issues that have been emerging over the summer, so we wanted to evoke that same idea of, not civil disobedience, but of protest, of standing up for your rights ... you get that image of a big group of people marching across campus, chanting and holding up signs.

That harkens back to the golden age of civil rights and we really wanted to express that.”

Carrying a sign that read “I’m voting because lots of people fought for me to have this right,” junior Patoreus Lewis showed up to the march to voice her opinion and cast her vote.

“I feel like voting is very important, especially in the times we’re living in,” Lewis said. “In the past, lots of people have fought for us just to have this right to vote so we should be able to come

out and exercise it in the way we’re supposed to.”

For people on the verge of voting, Lewis said, “You’ve just got to do it. Don’t be scared to do it. It’s not a hard process, but it’s going to be a harder process if we don’t vote...Nothing is going to change if you just sit there.”

“It’s important because it gives you an opportunity to make decisions about the elected officials and the policies that affect your everyday life,” Hacker said, sharing her view on the importance of voting.

“A lot of people think that it’s not worth their time to be involved in politics or it’s not worth their time to be interested in government, but I would say that’s absolutely false because no matter what you do, every single aspect of your life is...connected to government some way or another,”

See March-page 4

Panel of LGBTQ+ students and staff share coming out stories and advice

by Elvira Toddy Campus Life Editor

Free Headshots

to be successful in what they were wanting to bring to the campus.

“We just think this is the season of change,” Hernandez said, beginning to explain their motives behind organizing the event.

“Young people are feeling more empowered than ever to go vote,” Hernandez said. “So why not make it fun to go vote?”

Hernandez explained that the plan was to find a fun way to encourage students to stand in lines. “If they bring their friends, they’ll be more willing to stand in their lines.”

“It was right across the street from the university, so it was going to be an amazing opportunity for students to vote early,” Hernandez said.

“If most students don’t vote with their friends, they’re probably not going to vote at all.”

In addition, Hacker said the motivation for her

A collection of LGBTQ+ students and staff shared their experiences, Thursday, Oct. 22, conveying powerful and positive messages to an audience on Zoom while educating them on the difficulties of coming out.

Hannah Henshaw, a staff member in Outreach and Community Engagement, said that she had been reflecting on the coming out process since she was asked to be a part of the panel, explaining that, for her, it was a collection of careful and strategic decisions.

“Your number one consideration should be your personal well-being, mental health and safety.” Henshaw said. “I’m not going to come out to anyone who I personally think will react poorly.”

Venita Fricks, assistant director for residence life, said that coming out is not something she felt she had to do.

“I never believed in that process for myself. I actually always believed in living my life the way that I wanted to.” she said, explaining that despite having two religious parents she didn’t let their expectations change her.

“I’ve always believed that I need to live my life for me, and nobody else,” Fricks said. “It sometimes irritates me because straight people don’t have to say, ‘hey, I’m in a heterosexual relationship.’”

“Other people don’t have to do that … and people respect it,” Fricks said. “I just want people to respect my journey too.”

Fricks added it is

important to remember that people will ask questions.

“Being able to have those conversation with them is important,” she said.

Neli Saxon, Residence Coordinator for Farris Hall, shares Fricks outlook on coming out, but she doesn’t mind doing it.

When it comes to people who disagree with Saxson’s gender identity she said that she doesn’t care what they think, explaining that since she began her journey to selfdiscovery, she has had to come out many times.

“Obviously, it sucks that I might lose a few people, but at the end of the day it’s my happiness that matters,” Saxon said, explaining that coming out has its “hit or misses.”

Saxon is working towards her

master’s in college student personnel administration. She is also well-known on TikToc with over 300,000 followers.

Saxon said she is thankful for her followers because they function as support network.

“I feel like I pour into them, but I feel like they pour into me more,” Saxon said. “Some people need to see people like you, because maybe they’re in a place similar to this, or they’re in a place that may even be worse.”

Saxon encouraged the audience to search for community,“reach out to people,” she said.

JayJ Lindgren, junior and studio art major, was in the tenth grade when he came out.

“I was going to Greenbrier high school at the time which is a very traditional kind of town.” Lindgren said.

Lindgren said it was difficult to be around so many disapproving people.

“It didn’t help that I was a person of color,” he said. “the way I operate now … it doesn’t matter what others think, it matters how you think of yourself and how you view yourself and whether that makes you comfortable enough.”

Lindgren encouraged the audience to find a support network and make use of the counseling center. “It makes it a lot easier when you have other you can actually take to and relate to about this type of thing.”

“Find people you can trust,” Lindgren said. “Don’t be afraid to show yourself off a little bit. Don’t be afraid to present yourself how you would like to be seen.”

New round of Ebony Models plan to continue their engagment on campus

by Sarah Coleman Associate Editor

The UCA Ebony Models have announced their new members and event dates to for this semester.

Clinicals were held on Oct. 13 and Oct. 14. Tryouts were held on Thursday, Oct. 15.

The newest members of Ebony Models are: Ladiamond Maker, Raven Hicks, Zoya Effanga, Adreanna Jones, Anessa Bryant, Alexis Taylor and Amari Williams.

While many things on campus are not the same as they normally are, the

Ebony Models have plans to make sure their club continues to engage with campus.

The Ebony Models have hosted a plethora of events on campus in the past, including Bridging the Gap, which was an educational session, and falling for fashion, which is a fall fashion show.

At the beginning of the semester, Ebony Models hosted a virtual day party for freshman, so they could start to get to know each other.

Ebony Models president Ky’Shaun Bradford says he is looking forward to hosting more engaging events such as

these.

“Ebony Models is known for participating in events dealing with helping the community and volunteering for different services. On campus, we like to host fun events that can get students engaged with each other out of their comfort zone,” Bradford said.

Ebony Models include members from both the male and female student population and represent a large percentage of UCA. While Ebony Models, do put on fashion shows and teach their models the basic walks and turns, service is also a

huge part of their organization.

“Ebony Models is known for participating in events dealing with helping the community and volunteering for different services. On campus, we like to host fun events that can get students engaged with each other out of their comfort zone,” Bradford said.

Ebony Models traditionally participates in natural disaster relief efforts, silent marches and clothing drives.

While the Ebony Models are well known for a lot of their events on campus, their most popular events are their fall and spring fashion shows.

4/ October 28 , 2020

ucanews.live

CAMPUS LIFE

Photo by Ian Lyle

Junior Demaja Price marches while carrying a sign reading “I’m voting because it is my right!” Price said he hopes to see that his vote matters, and that people should vote because it is a right that should be fulfilled.

Photo from UCA Office of Diversity’s Facbook page

The Office of Diversity and Community and PRISM sponsored a National Coming Out Day booth Wednesday Oct. 14. Buttons, cookies and informational flyers on upcoming LGBTQ+ related events were distributed to students.

National Coming Out Day booth kicks off LGBTQ+ related events

by Elvira Toddy

Photo by Ian Lyle

Students march from UCA campus across College Avenue to the Conway Regional Health System, where voting ballots are offered to those registered to vote. UCAPD escorted and blocked off roads in order to protect those marching to the ballots.

March:

Event coordinators create a new tradtition of getting students to vote early.

4 Continued from page Hernandez said that voting is important because it gives students an opportunity to create change.

“This is giving students the chance to really make a difference in their everyday lives,” he said. “Not everything is national. We vote on local stuff all the time...That’s something that we can make a tangible difference with in our lives and this is going to affect students everywhere.”

Hernandez emphasized the importance of voting locally, encouraging that

3

students be more involved in local elections.

Hernandez said he wanted students to “take back their power.”

“If students want a voice in making their schools better and making their roads better and just having a better quality of life, they should just go vote.”

For Hernandez, voting holds lots of importance in his life as he shared personal experiences of being from an immigrant family and the longing for more inclusivity at UCA.

“We have been trying to be as inclusive as possible. That’s why we were inviting the Latino Student Association and the NAACP. We’re actively reaching out to historically disenfranchised groups,” he said.

“This is so important for me, especially within the Latin X population at UCA, because we’re voting for people who can’t. We’re voting for immigrants’ rights. We’re voting for rights of people who otherwise really don’t have a say in this democracy.”

Hernandez said.

Although this was the first March to the Polls event at UCA, Hacker and Hernandez hope to see the tradition carried out on the UCA campus after they graduate.

“Regardless of the turnout, which we were really happy with, we just really wanted to plant the seeds,” Hernandez said. “We didn’t know what to expect, but we’re happy with it and we really just want to pave the way for other students who want to become more civically engaged to just go out and do it and not be afraid.”

Campus Life Editor The Office of Community Outreach along with Torreyson Library, SGA and LGBTQIA + C.R.E.W. worked together to host a National Coming Out Day booth, Wednesday, Oct. 14 in front of the Student Center.

Cookies were distributed as well as LGBTQ+ related buttons and informational flyers on upcoming events celebrating LGBT history month.

Jessica Riedmueller, a Torreyson Library Faculty member and one of the event organizers, said that the booth was a “crosscampus” project that drew support from multiple organizations and departments on campus.

“SGA provided the amazing cookies for the Coming Out Day table and members of SGA helped staff the table. The buttons were provided by the Counseling Center. The PRISM Alliance and the Feminist Union are also providing support by helping staff the tables,” Riedmueller said.

“We got together and had these different groups who wanted to do different things and so we decided to add some more events,” she said, explaining that inspiration for these events was gained from the momentum provided by last year’s events in response to an incident where a pro-LGBTQ+ sign was removed from the library’s front entrance.

“It’s essential that we offer events like this so LGBTQ+ faculty, staff, and students know that they are not only welcomed, but celebrated at UCA.” Hannah Henshaw an Outreach and Community Engagement

faculty member who helped organize the events said.

“We organized a slew of events that we are doing for LGBT history month.”

Henshaw said, explaining that she would be one of the panelist discussing the coming out process at another event.

“I think that the Coming Out Process Panel has the potential to be the most impactful, especially for folks who might not be completely ‘out,’” Henshaw said.

Henshaw said she looks forward to showing students that they are loved and supported on campus.

“I really love doing the tabling events because it warms my heart to see students light up when they realize that there are people on this campus who love and support them,” Henshaw said.

Riedmueller said that she hopes these events let LGBTQ+ students know that they are “valid,” and that there is nothing wrong with them.

“I’m straight, cisgender, and white,” Riedmueller said. “I live and work in a world that has been made extraordinarily convenient for me, and it is neither fair nor right that this convenience isn’t afforded to everyone.”

Riedmueller said that she hopes the events planned for LGBT history month will help to make LGBTQ+ students feel secure at UCA.“I hope they remind everyone who disagrees that the future is queer,” she said.

“What I love about LGBT History Month is that is shows the past was also queer, and these events allow us to unerase that past,” Riedmueller said.

Stem career fair helps students connect with employers

by DJ Jones Staff Writer

UCA had its Stem Career and Graduate School Fair virtually on Oct.21 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

UCA Associate Director of Career Services, Robyn Williams said there were 34 employers and graduate schools who participated in the career fair.

Participants were required to register for the career fair by creating a Handshake account. After creating the account, participants were able

to sign up for group sessions or 1:1 sessions for the career fair.

“The only guidelines that we ask students to follow for the virtual career fairs are to be sure that you not only register for the fair but that you also sign up for group and/or 1:1 sessions with employers. Signing up for sessions is the only way to meet with employers, not just registering. Also, be sure to put your best foot forward when meeting employers by dressing for success,” Williams said.

Williams said with this career fair

being virtual, it made it different from those in the past.

“Our virtual career fairs are different because student’s now have the option to choose the setting that they would like to meet with employers in and students don’t have to wait in lines anymore, which is a plus when it comes to classes and other scheduling conflicts,” Williams said.

This career fair made it a little easier for students to meet with employers. Instead of standing in a line, students were now able to decide when

and how they would like to meet with an employer.

“Students can decide the time that they would like to meet with employers and if they prefer a group setting with other students or a one-on-one setting with just the employer and the student,” Williams said.

If students missed out on this career fair, they can still register for an upcoming fair in the future.

“There are four virtual career fairs remaining for this academic year: the Health Career Fair on October 28th,

the Fall Career Fair on Nov. 4, the Teachers’ Career Fair on February 26th, and the Spring Job Fair on March 3rd. Currently, there are 26 employers registered for the virtual Health Career Fair and the all major Fall Career Fair,” Williams said.

There was also a virtual drop-in support system available during the time of the career fair to help students who may have had trouble connecting or if they had any questions.

For more information about upcoming career fairs, visit www.uca.edu/career/

People of UCA: John Davis byAddison Freeman

Staff Writer John Davis, better known as JD, is a sophomore at UCA, but has already completed one degree at Pulaski Tech.

“I just graduated for aviation maintenance technology,” Davis said.

Aviation maintenance technology is “basically just being an airplane mechanic,” he said.

“A lot of it is just knowing how to read a manual because going from your own memory on how to fix something on an airplane is not safe at all,” Davis said. “We actually joke that we save more lives than doctors. There are tons of lives on the line, and it’s a lot of responsibility.”

When looking at UCA, Davis originally planned on being a business major, but is currently a film major.

“Whenever I watch

movies, I like to find the deeper meaning,” Davis said.

“I like listening to movie soundtracks and coming up with my own little plot in my head as it’s playing.”

Davis thought film would be fun and has been inspired by composers John Williams and Alan Silvestri.

Another reason Davis chose film is because he’s “very visual.”

The advice Davis would give to those interested in pursuing film is to “try to make connections.”

“The seniors and juniors in film will find you, and they’ll start asking you to help out in their projects,” Davis said. “If you’re really passionate about film, help them out, and whenever you’re watching movies, pay attention to how they’re made.”

While Davis enjoys film, he isn’t sure if he will continue to pursue a degree

in it.

“I like to draw, so I’m thinking about graphic design,” he said.

Davis is also interested in a completely different profession: radiology.

“I would love to help someone with their health, and it’s a straight-forward way of helping someone,” Davis said. “I took a skills test, and one of the jobs that was high in my skill set was radiology.”

This is Davis’ first semester at UCA, and the pandemic hasn’t made his semester any easier.

“I think it has been a little more difficult, especially with the professors trying to figure out the online stuff,” he said. “Some of them aren’t good at it at all, but I’m not complaining. It’s a learning curve for everyone, so I just want to be compassionate toward the professors.”

Davis believes that “everyone is trying their best.”

Davis is an enneagram nine and describes himself as “nice and joyful.”

In 10 years time, Davis could see himself following several different paths.

“I could possibly see myself being a technician on airplanes,” he said. “And that could either be in the United States working for an airline on 747s, or it could be somewhere like in Africa doing missionary work and working on small planes, taking supplies out to missionaries.”

He could also see himself working in a hospital or for a film or graphic design company.

But Davis isn’t too worried about figuring things out right now.

“I’m a Christian, so I feel like God has a plan for me. I’m really just trying to listen to his voice, and I’m just trusting in him,” Davis said. “That’s really my biggest motivator.”

Photo provided by John Davis

John Davis is a sophomore at UCA. He graduated from Pulaski Tech with a degree in airplane technician maintenance. He is interested in film and graphic design.

Sports

5

October 28, 2020

Upcoming Games Football 3 p.m., Oct.31 @ Estes Stadium Men’s Soccer

1 p.m., Oct. 31 vs Georgia Southern Women’s Tennis 9 a.m., Oct. 30 vs University of Missouri Women’s Tennis 1:30 p.m., Oct. 30 vs University of Missouri

Editor’s Take

photo courtsey of UCA Sports

Fuka Nanoyama joined teammate Chunxi Xin in the round of 16 at the ITA Fall Regionals in Fayetteville Oct. 23-25. TheJunior Nanoyama went on to secure a win in the Consolation Finals on Sunday. photo courtesy of Washington Post

Members of the Los Angeles Lakers took to the court in pre-game attire that encouraged viewers to get out and vote.

Activism found its way to the court long before 2020: Why athletes using their platform is crucial in today’s society

o open fall Tennis season

UCA women’s tennis shows consistency during the ITA Fall Regionals

By Sadie Clark Staff Writer

The UCA Women’s tennis team had a full weekend of competing against multiple teams at the ITA Fall Regionals at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville Oct 23-25.

By Ashley Savage Head Tennis Coach Casey Wharton Sports Editor The controversial debate felt encouraged after the matches and was impressed by how much effort was put in over on whether professional the weekend. athletes should bring their “We played well and we got better,” activism to the workplace has Wharton said. “Everybody here is good.” been up in the air for many Friday, Oct. 23, was the kickoff of the years now. After Jacob Blake, 29, was shot in the back seven regional tournament with UCA sending many of their winning players into the next round on times by the police, several NBA teams refused to play in Saturday. their upcoming games -- to Singles players sophomore Chunxi Xin stand in solidarity. President and junior Yada Vasupongchai advanced to the Donald Trump commented second round. Xin went up against North Texas that the NBA “has become a University’s top player and came out victorious

political organization.”

Activism in sports has been happening for several decades. From Elgin Baylor’s 1959 racial protest during his time with the Minneapolis Lakers to the time in 1961 when several NBA players from the Celtics and the Hawks sat out in protest of racial inequality. Activism in organizations has been a form of expression forever. Sports organizations are no different.

If we can sit back and support the use of political expression in other organizations, then there is no reason that this should not apply to the NBA, the WNBA, the NFL and the The idea that these athletes shouldn’t be allowed to bring politics to the table in their workplace is hypocritical.

The only reason this is up for debate is due to people wanting their enterainment separate from politics.

In reality, the use of protesting and advocacy within sports organizations is so important. It’s also important to remember that many sports teams carry viewership that covers millions of people. This creates an opportunity for societal issues to be presented to those that might not know what is happening in the world. If we are to silence our professional athletes for the sake of entertainment purposes, we are doing a disservice to all of the relevant issues in our society and the opportunity to shine a light on them.

In any occupation, if you have a platform to shed light on problems that need to be faced, you should. These issues do not dissapear on game night. The simple act of wearing T-shirts with messages like “Black Lives Matter” and “VOTE” has brought important matters to the eyes of millions.

Political expression is important and valid across all occupations. Athletes carry a power and responsibility with such large platforms and it is highly respectable to see them use that for the betterment of our society.

with two sets 6-3 and 6-2. Vasupongchai won against one of Arkansas’s top competitors and scored the final point, then fell in the third set.

“I did much better than I expected actually,” Xin said. “There were a lot of good players who we normally don’t play, so I was really preparing for everything. Overall, I think I got a good experience from this trip.”

In doubles, Xin and sophomore Fuka Nonoyama competed against Missouri State University’s top doubles team and won 6-4.

Freshmen Maja Gledic and Sumomo Hamanaga also proved victorious after defeating the University of Missouri’s team made up of freshman Olga Bienzobas Fernandez and senior Serena Nash.

On the second day of the tournament Xin and Nonoyama won against Oklahoma State University sophomore Bunyawi Thamchaiwat and freshman Lenka Stara in the round of 16.

They needed a tiebreaker for the match and the

OSU pair won 7-6 (2).

In the singles round of 32, UCA freshman Paulina Engback faced freshman Pascual Montalvo from Texas Christian University.

Montalvo beat Engback 7-5 and 6-0.

Hamanga went up against Missouri State junior Mara Prescot and won the middle set 7-5 after Prescot claimed a 6-2 victory, only for Prescot to win the match 1-0 (8).

In the singles consolation round of 16 Nonoyama won against Missouri State freshman Tiffani Nash in two sets 6-1 and 6-3 to advance to the consolation quarterfinals.

Nonoyama went up against Arkansas sophomore Claire Slaughter for the consolation quarter finals and won the match 6-0 in both sets.

She took one loss which eliminated her from the consolation bracket, but ended up defeating TCU’s Pascual Montalvo in the semifinals 6-3 in both sets.

Nonoyama then proved victorious against Arkansas senior Lauren Alter with two more wins of 6-3.

Coach Wharton noted Nonoyama’s triumph through the semifinals and said he was encouraged by her performance.

“I was proud of Fuka for getting through the consolation and winning,” he said.

Wharton said the team’s plans before preparing for the next match are to get home and rest after a weekend of playing against competitive teams.

“This has been a lot of tennis in a short period of time,” Wharton said.

He said the team is ready for the next match against the University of Missouri on Oct 30 at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at the UCA Tennis Courts.

“It’s nice to play and nice to be competing,” Wharton said. “It’ll be even nicer to be competing at home.”

VICTORY

BEAR WIN

photo courtesy of ucasports.com

photo courtesy of ucasports.com

The Bears picked up its fourth loss of the season on Saturday after falling short against Eastern Kentucky. The team will face Missouri Western State on Saturday Oct. 31 at home.

A 31-28 defeat at Eastern Kentucky on Oct. 24 lands Bears its fourth season loss

By DJ Jones Staff Writer

The UCA football team suffered a 3128 loss to Eastern Kentucky on a last second touchdown. The loss gave the Bears its fourth loss of the season.

After a scoreless first quarter from both teams, Eastern Kentucky was first to find the endzone with a 7-yard touchdown from sophomore quarterback Parker McKinney to freshman tight end Malik Owens, giving the Colonels a 7-0 lead.

On the following drive, UCA were able to find the endzone on a 11-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Breylin Smith to sophomore receiver Tyler Hudson. After the extra point field goal from junior kicker Hayden Ray, the Bears evened the score at 7-7.

The Colonels were able to score again later in the second quarter off of a 19- yard touchdown pass from McKinney to junior tight end Ethan Bradds, allowing Eastern

Tania Nunez and Elin Kumlin tied in fourth place on Wednesday at the Callaway Gardens Invite. The two led the team to an overall victory in Pine Mountain, GA.

Women’s golf walks away with first-place win after Callaway Gardens Invite victory

By Ronak Patel

Kentucky to go up 14-7 on the scoreboard.

The Colonels scored a last second field goal at the end of the second quarter to give them a 17-7 lead going into the halftime break.

In the second half, UCA were able to strike first and were the only team to put points on the board in the third quarter.

The Bears scored off a 1-yard touchdown run from senior running back Kierre Crossley, cutting the lead to 17-14.

Early in the fourth quarter, Eastern Kentucky went on again to score another touchdown off of a 7-yard rush from junior quarterback Dakota Allen to go up 24-14 on the scoreboard.

After being down two scores again, the Bears fought back and scored two touchdowns in a row to take the lead.

The first touchdown was a 4- yard touchdown pass from Smith to junior receiver Lujuan Winningham to cut the Eastern Kentucky lead to 24-21.

The second

touchdown from the Bears was a 1-yard rushing touchdown from Smith to take the lead for the first time in the game.

Despite the quick comeback from the Bears, Eastern Kentucky scored quickly on a 21-yard touchdown pass from Allen to senior wide receiver Matt Wilcox with only six seconds left on the clock.

The Colonels were able to hold on to the game after a back and forth battle with the Bears. .

UCA quarterback Breylin Smith threw 3045 with 320 yards and 2 interceptions.

Crossley led the Bears in rushing yards with 74 total yards and 14 carries.

Both Winningham and Hudson had over 100 yards receiving each.

The receiver duo also had 2 touchdowns and 16 receptions between the both of them.

The Bears will play their next game at home against Missouri Western State on Oct.31.

Editor

Tania Nunez and Elin Kumlin led UCA women’s golf to victory on Oct. 21, during the Callaway Gardens Invite at Pine Mountain, GA. UCA won this tournament with a score of 860 (+8).

UCA competed against: Middle Tennesse, Mercer, South Alabama, Troy, UAB, Western Kentucky, Georgia Southern, FIU and UA Little Rock.

With this win at the Callaway Gardens Invite, UCA picked up its first tournament win since they won the Little Rock Golf Classic in 2018.

During this tournament, history was made; Kumlin, Nunez, Pear Rittawee, PimOrn Thitisup and Camila Moreno passed the school record of lowest round, which was previously 872.

Kumlin finished the tournament with a score of 212 (-1) and tied with Nunez to finish in fourth place.

In the final round, Kumlin

produced 2 birdies and an eagle and that propelled her to fourth place. Kumlins 2 eagles lead all performers in eagles.

Nunez finished the tournament tied in fourth place with her teammate Kumlin with a score of 212 (-1). Nunez led her team in birdies with eleven and four of them were produced on the final day.

Heading into the final day Rittawee sat at 27th place and her 4 birdies on the final day of the tournament propelled her to 12th place.

Rittawee finished the day with 10 birdies overall, which is only behind Nunez in birdies scored for UCA. Rittawee finished with a final score of 219 (+6).

Thitisup finished the tournament in 16th place; she was able to score 72 (+1) on the final day and move up one spot. During the tournament, Thitisup produced 8 birdies.

Thitisup’s final score was 220 (+7).

Moreno came in 37th place with a score of 226 (+13). On the final day, Moreno was able to jump

one spot in the standings.

Moreno finished the last day with 2 birdies, helping her finish with a score of 74 (+3).

Moreno tallied 6 birdies at the tournament.

Headcoach Natasha Vincent credits the team’s patience for overcoming the challenging course, “I would say patience and course management. The course layout was challenging. Most approach shots were not friendly to the eye. Missed greens resulted in a pitch from some gnarly Bermuda coupled with a firm green... it was easy to feel frustrated, despite the challenges they persevered!” Vincent said.

UCA’s performance at this tournament has Vincent excited for the the team’s future, “Winning was the reward but seeing them put it together regardless of the win was really fun to watch!

They all have more in the tank! The future is bright!”

Vincent said to UCA Sports.

The next tournament UCA will participate in will be the Mercer Invitational, which will take place on Nov. 9 in Macon, Georgia.

Opinion

6

ucaechoeditor@gmail.com

October 28, 2020

The Voice

Local businesses need to be supported right now

The Echo Staff Ronak Patel Editor Sarah Coleman Associate Editor Delaney Van Wilpe News Editor Kaitlin Benight Assistant News Editor Elvira Toddy Campus Life Editor Haley Melendez Assistant Campus Life Editor Ashley Savage Sports Editor Ian Lyle Opinion Editor Kennadi Harris Entertainment Editor Mia Waddell Online Editor Megan Holder Social Media Editor Sidney McCoy Cartoonist

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Black womens’ hair is none of your business I want to start this by saying that life Stop touching people’s hair. Stop asking would be so much better if people could your Black friends if their hair is theirs. Of master the art of just minding their own course the hair on their head is their own business. hair. Stop assuming Black women don’t I was walking the aisles of Target --- grow their own hair. Black women can and like I do nearly every week and I noticed a do grow out their own hair. It is possible, I children’s book with a beautiful Black child know you’re shocked that it doesn’t match with an afro on it. The title made me smile. the racist narrative you were taught.

“DON’T TOUCH MY HAIR” was Black women are goddesses. They are written in all caps. I beautiful no matter what smiled because much style their hair is in and no like the child with the matter their tone of skin. afro on the front of a This should not need to children’s book, I was be said. In society, Black a child with an afro. women are disrespected so Poofy, sometimes blatantly and annoyingly, untamed, tight curls sadly the internet has made rested on my hair. this more noticeable.

My point in typing While we’re at it, stop all of this is that from being colorist too. Stop a young age, Black looking at Biracial Black women are subjected women as exotic creatures to the hands and or check’s to mark on your prodding questions bucket list. Stop the about our hair. We are narrative that lighter somehow convinced skinned Black women

by Sarah Coleman that we must explain have “better” hair. What Associate Editor our hair and how does that even mean? it takes to varying Black women have so lengths and styles. many different textures I understand the curiosity, I really do. of hair and it is not exclusive to the color of As a biracial Black child living in a white skin one possesses. home I often wanted to ask about all of I am so saddened every single time the different styles. I had a reason to be I hear a child look in the mirror and sulk curious though, I wanted to know how to because they hate their hair. It has taken so protect my curly, natural hair. many years of learning to care for my hair Curiosity in childhood is one thing but to learn how to love it. Growing up in this to have grown adults touching my hair in a society does not make it any easier. It is so grocery store in the middle of a pandemic? hard to even express how difficult it is to No. Not okay. face the questions with racist undertones It’s time that everyone learns to mind and assumptions. their business. If you think about asking Please care for your Black friends. a Black woman if her hair is real? Stay out Please teach your children to keep their of Black people’s business. If you want to hands to themselves. Please keep your own know ---- google it. Read about it. Educate hands to yourself. Please stop expecting yourself on hair textures and hair styles, Black people to educate you, do it yourself. protective styles and curl patterns.

People should reflect on themselves during quarantine Being trapped in your head is normal, but not the process heading in the right direction. when we end up doing it every day. With this pandemic Usually people will write their feelings and their happening and somewhat trapping everyone, people questions for life and much more in a journal, or even are mentally falling apart. Everyone has to try adjusting do it as a writing exercise. However, self reflecting gets to a more solitude lifestyle, no friends, no social easier the more time you spend alone. It seems like a life because if they do so there is a constant fear of weird thing to be doing during covid especially when catching COVID-19. However, being solidified from you could start a project or learning new hobbies, but the outside world has its benefits. with all these new insights, meditations, and journalism Being alone opens up the opportunity to have tasks you’re taking a major step in helping yourself and self reflection, and out finding who we really are. You helping discover what’s better for you and figuring out go through your thoughts, emotions and actions and what you deserve in the present and future. slowly start realizing more things about yourself that Once you finally get to the end of self-reflection you’ve never noticed before. your mind ends up feeling very refreshed and thus When being surrounded by relieving all that excess stress other people it leaves little time that was just piling up on top of for us as individuals to be our each other, and having found a uttermost selves because we new self love and self respect that get lost in the crowd of people, no one thinks to achieve, this is which causes our authentic a main benefit from the process. selves to get buried by the Just knowing that you can be opinions of what they think just as strong alone as you are we should be like. When you in a group and re-finding your slowly start conforming into own self and being comfortable what you think others want, you around others and being don’t even notice that you’re comfortable in your doing it. own skin.

by Haley Melendez It’s so subtle but happens It’s okay to be alone Assistant Campus Life Editor quickly, and in most cases it’s a and do something for person’s personality that ends up changing the most based on who they are with or what group they are around.

The tiny yet noticeable changes raise questions and concerns that we end up needing to ask ourselves.

When starting the process of self-reflection it gets scary because you have to pick out your flaws and question the way you do things and work from there.

Nothing about that first step is fun. Who wants to point out the changes of themselves and think it’s a fun step to take? The crazy thing is, that first step of questioning yourself is the most critical part to getting

yourself and not feel like you’re being selfish, or worrying about what everyone else is doing or acting around you. We were not made to please everyone we were only meant to live our lives the way we choose, so getting to know yourself when you feel you lost yourself, is more important than anyone else’s opinions and their needs. This process helps people realize that they need to take care of yourself and make sure you are okay before putting yourself in a situation to help someone else, otherwise the self you keep losing could just keep staying out of your reach.

If anyone in the economy has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is people in the local economy, especially local businesses.

Local businesses across the globe have been harshly affected by the pandemic due to the lack of revenue being made that would normally sustain them in the market.

The fact that all businesses should be supported during the pandemic in order to sustain the economy shall not be disclaimed, but local businesses are at more risk of dying in such a crisis.

Local businesses need the income more than large corporations and franchises that have a massive, steady flow of revenue. They depend solely on local support as due to thousands, if not millions, anywhere and everywhere.

The support of local businesses invests in the local economy, which circulates and helps sustain the local economy.

The importance of this concept is the relevance, proximity and impact it has on the consumer.

The consumer resides in the local economy. Therefore, when he supports the local businesses and invests money into the local economy, it closely affects him rather than money being spent to a worldwide company that can eat up and distribute the money elsewhere.

Bigger companies already have more money to sustain themselves, so they should not be the priority at the moment.

Local businesses should be supported during the ongoing pandemic in order to sustain the local economy and invest in the community.

Furthermore, supporting local businesses not only affects the local economy and yourself, but affects others.

Local businesses are run by local people. The more you support locally, the more you support your community.

For instance, plenty of smaller, family-run restaurants have been struggling to maintain business and employment due to the precautions of the pandemic.

But what happens to the family that runs them? What happens to the single mother working as a waitress at the restaurant? What happens to the college student working in the kitchen to pay off his student loans?

The more consumers turn a blind eye to local businesses, people in the community are deprived by it, deteriorating the community.

Sure, it may sound exaggerated, but it is a harsh reality and it needs to be known.

Without the people making up the local economy, there would be fewer jobs, less money circulated and a worser economy.

If you have the option, support local.

Doing so invests in individuals in the community and betters the success of the economy of the area you reside in.

Have an opinion? Everyone does.

Write a letter to the editor at ucaechoeditor@gmail.com Letters to the editor don’t just have to be about Echo content.

If you’ve noticed something on campus that’s positive or negative, we want to hear about it.

The Echo is printed weekly by The Courier. Decisions about content are made by the student editors.

The views published are not necessarily those of the University of Central Arkansas. All material is subject to respective copyrights.

Entertainment

7

October 28, 2020

New This Week Movies

Oct. 31 — Come Play (PG-13), directed by Jacob Chase, starring Gillian Jacobs, John Gallahger Jr.

Oct. 31 — Spell (R), directed by Mark Tonderai, starring Omari Hardwick, Loretta Divine

Oct. 23 — The Donut King (R), directed by, Alice Gu (documentary)

Music Oct. 30— FictionSuuns Oct. 30 - I Can Go With You- Sam Burton

“Haunting of Bly Manor” is more tragic than frightening

by Heidi Mackey

Staff Writer

If you’re looking for a warm feel good ghost story with a hint of a haunting, then the “Haunting of Bly Manor” is for you. This Netflix original series is full of ghost, tragedy, heart ache, and revenge.

If you watched the “Haunting of Hill House”, you see the same house on the inside and the same actors just with different names and stories. My biggest recommendation is to not go into this with the hopes it will be as scary as “Hill House” or you will be very disappointed.

It’s the same plot of something horrible happened on the grounds of the manor and you spend nine episodes trying to figure it out and right when you think you have, you’re wrong. This season was a little bit harder to follow along on.

While the show is full of ghost and individual story lines, it’s harder to follow because each episode isn’t based on character’s story. You see them unravel and all come together in the final three episodes.

“Haunting of Bly Manor” stars the same actors from “Haunting of exclusively on Netflix.

Our main character is Danny and I had a love hate relationship with her. She was strong willed at first when she took on the role as being an au pair to a set of trouble children in the countryside of England.

However, when it came to her personal life and past, she was broken. Danny goes on to save the entire family and show in the end.

The entire show is based around the “lady from the lake”,

lake is interesting and will make you question life after death, as well as purgatory. The plot line for her was great but in the grand scheme of the show very minimal. Make sure and really follow along with the dolls and where they are placed. I can’t say too much without spoiling the whole show.

I personally had to rewatch episode seven twice to fully understand what happened and what was going to happen later.

It turns out to be a simple story line, but it’s played in several flashbacks within flashbacks, so really pay attention there.

Episode seven sets the tone for the rest of the show and you will be able to figure out so much from that one episode. It will change the way you watch the whole show.

I give this show seven out photo courtesy of www.insider.com of ten stars due to lack of clarity Hill House”. The series is available in the plot lines. However, I still recommend it to anyone why she haunts the manor, and who loves a good ghost story why when you die there you and cry. You will cry at the end never leave the property. This of this show because it is heart story line is similar to the one in wrenching. If you liked the “Hill House” but of course with “Haunting of Hill House” then you will like “Bly Manor” even its own differences.

The story of the lady in the though they are different.

MUSIC

NETFLIX

Oct. 30- Recovery Songs- Kat Hamilton Oct. 30 - Recollections EP- Wynonna Oct. 30-Tell U EPCouch Prints Oct. 23 —JP4JUNGLEPUSSY

photo courtesy of www.vanyaland.com

Swedish pop artist Isak Danielson released new single “Almost Heaven” on Oct. 16. The song is available on all streaming platforms.

Oct. 23-Earth to DoraEels photo courtesy of www.thecraftychica.com

Oct. 30 - A Very Trainer ChristmasMegan Trainer Oct. 23- Prep - Prep

Netflix Oct. 30- Bronx

Oct. 30- His House

Oct. 30- The Day of the Lord Oct. 30- Somebody Feed Phil (Season 4) Oct. 30- Suburra (Season 3) Oct. 30- The 12th Man

Oct. 28- Holidate

“Rebecca” now available exclusively on Netflix.

“Rebecca” differs from most Halloween movies, heartfelt

BY SARAH COLEMAN ASSOCIATE EDITOR

I am completely taken aback by “Rebecca”, a Netflix original. If you are anything like me, you love Halloween and all of the frights and spooky movies that come with the season of October.

Let me assure you that Rebecca was nothing that I expected. Based off of the description I really felt that it would be a ghost story and don’t get me wrong -- it still is but not in the traditional sense.

Rebecca is a love story in the truest form. If I would have known this I wouldn’t have clicked on it.

Not because i’m a curmudgeon, I am but that’s not the reason why.

I don’t normally love the Nicholas Sparks novel turned movies that make you feel sick to your stomach.

This is not overwhelming. It is true, It is an 1800s glimpse of love, lies, death, tragedy and wealth. It is about a poor girl and a very rich man, a jealous housekeeper, the ghost of a woman that her husband once was married to, dogs who act strange and of course secrets.

This movie is not a short sweet hapy go lucky film, this is a deep movie with a thick plot and lots of twists and turns along the way.

Rebecca honestly gave me Titanic vibes. I don’t know how to explain that, you would just have to watch it and know.

Mrs. De Winter is played

by Lily James brilliantly. She is a beautiful, young, total opposite of Maxim De Winter’s first wife, 1. Halloweentown

Top 5 best Halloween movies List compiled by Delaney Van Wilpe News Editor

“Halloweentown” is a place where Halloween is year round with ghouls, goblins and witches lurking around every corner. For Marnie Piper’s grandmother, Aggie, this is home. On Halloween, Aggie pays a visit to her grandkids. She urges Marnie’s mother, Gwen, to allow Marnie to begin witch training or her powers would expire on her 13th birthday. Aggie decides to leave. Unknown to Aggie, Marnie and her siblings follow her back home. To the children’s surprise, they stumble upon Halloweentown. I guarantee that the quality of this film is nothing compared to what my younger self glorified, but it’s still a classic.

Rebecca. She is brave, strong and single in the worst sense of the word. She is a lady’s companion working for 90 pounds a year. She has no family and no place to go rather than just around.

Maxim De Winter is a tortured soul, reeking of something more dark and sinister, a reminisce of his life in his first marriage. A wreck, but is somehow able to find himself in Mrs. De Winter.

Ms. Danvers is the most annoying character in a movie that I have ever seen. She is cold, odd, controlling and obsessed with Rebecca. Her whole life was devoted to taking care of this ghost of a woman. From the time she was little until the time she mysteriously died.

Other than the odd mix of characters and a slow start, Rebecca is honestly one of the best movies I have seen in awhile and it is surprisingly good for a Netflix Original.

While I would have not normally clicked on something that is so long ( I have the attention span of a golden retriever), i’m glad I did. If nothing else, it was a nice break from all of the homework.

I really am disappointed that this movie was so lukewarm.

Like yes, it is good, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to escape reality but at the same time, the beginning of the movie is really boring.

View at your own risk. Rebecca is now streaming on Netflix.

2. Scream

“Scream” costumes are a staple of Halloween, so it’s only right that it made this list. This movie follows Sidney Prescott a year after her mother’s death. She and her friends are experiencing strange phone calls from a person who is later revealed as a serial killer. This killer wears a white mask and a large black robe and rips through the small town of Woodsboro. Right before he strikes, he confuses the victims with mysterious phone calls and odd commentary (like scary movie trivia). The killer targets Sidney, but she’s able to make it out alive to see a Scream 2, 3 and 4.

Swedish singer puts twist on pop genre with emotional new single BY

ASHLEY SAVAGE

Sports Editor

Swedish pop artist, Isak Danielson, has done it again with his latest single release: “Almost Heaven.” This single dropped just shortly after Danielson’s second studio album, “Remember to Remember Me.” The 23-year-old artist was originally trained in theatre and singing at the Tring Park School for the Performing Arts while his family lived in London from 2008-2010. He has since gone on to gain increasing popularity in the United States after the release of his first single “Love Live This Love” in 2013.

I personally first found the Swedish sensation back in 2015 after he released his EP titled “Volume One.” I’ve always been drawn to music that urges you to feel something more emotional than what radio’s mainstream pop might ignite. Whether it be in a soft ballad from a lesser-known artist or in Sam Smith’s loud, yet powerful singles, I’m a fan of it all.

With Danielson, I found it mesmerizing the way that he was able to capture ballad-like vocal runs that simultaneously had instrumental aspects of pop culture. This ability to

3. Hocus Pocus What would Halloween be without the witches of “Hocus Pocus”? The year is 1693 in Salem, Massachussets and sisters Winifred, Mary and Sarah are executed for practicing witchcraft. Three hundred years later, on Halloween night 1993, the witches are accidentally brought back to life from a flame lit by Max Dennison.

The eccentric sisters have until sunrise to become immortal, or else they will disappear forever.

With the fate of Salem’s children in Max, Dani and Allison’s hands, they must outwit the bewitching trio.

ignite emotion in a way that was catchy and enjoyable was something I hadn’t seen in a lot of artists’ music.

With each addition to his discography, Danielson has found new ways to show that he carries a truly unique ability in his art. His latest drop “Almost Heaven” did exactly that.

The newest release from the Swedish vocalist dropped on all streaming platforms on Oct. 16 and was quickly followed by the related music video. During the first listen, the message of the single wasn’t entirely obvious to me -- until I watched the music video.

In the video, Danielson is seen with a male counterpart, wandering various outdoor sceneries.

While the lyrics play, the two carry a conversation about being in love, what love is, and how nothing lasts forever.

This idea that everything has an inevitable end becomes an evident theme in both the single and in the video and I found this message to be quite brilliant.

The comparison between heaven’s everlasting characteristics and their romantic relationship became so clear. The singer used his rich tone and artistic ability to depict a relationship that was

4. The Rocky Horror Picture

Show After the collapse of Vine in 2016, many people felt a major loss of creativity and entertainment. Those six-second videos meant so much to so many people. 2020 was the year that officially brought the social media platform Tik Tok to relevancy.

With the ability to create videos from 15 seconds to a fullminute long, the possibilities were endless and soon multiple creators emerged. We were able to find happiness in creators like Tabitha Brown, Charli D’amelio and baby Grey to name a few.

Tik Tok was able to satisfy the entertainment needs of many during a really difficult year.

so divine, in his eyes, that he wished it could be eternal.

The singer aimed to express how he hoped there would be a place where their relationship wouldn’t meet an inevitable end and through his tone, lyric choice, and visual art...he did just that.

Vocally, in the beginning, the single is filled with soft, slow verses that reference Virginia churches and choirs singing in robes of white. Toward the middle of the single, Danielson’s vocals started climbing for a higher set of notes. By the end, the 23-year-old is hitting notes that the average-car-singalong-er cannot come close to hitting.

The combination of the vocal range and the imagery that Danielson provided in this four minute vocal venture was nothing less than impressive. From the earthy tones that flow through the music video’s visual aspects to the high notes toward minute three of the song, the entire experience felt like a small snippet from a longer, ethereal movie.

All in all, the experience of this single was, simply put, a journey through vocal, visual and instrumental wonderlands. I added this single to my library and I suggest you do too.

5. Corpse Bride I know what you’re all thinking; where is the “Nightmare Before Christmas”? I am just going to say outright that “Corpse Bride” is the superior Tim Burton movie. “Corpse Bride” is eerie and dark, as is any Burton movie, but it morphs the worlds between life and death. Victor Van Dort and Victoria Everglot are arranged to be married; but the day before the wedding, Victor finds himself in a weird conundrum among the dead. As he is practicing his vows for Victoria in the woods, he accidentally marries Emily, the corpse bride. So between the two women, will Victor choose eternity or “until death do us part”?

ucanews.live

SPORTS

8/ October 28, 2020

SPORT

UCA STATS CORNER OPPONENT

RESULT

RECORD

Football

Eastern Kentucky

31-28 (L)

(3-4)

Women’s Soccer

Missouri State

1-0 (W)

(8-2-1)

Women’s Golf

Callaway Gardens Invite

1st

Men’s Golf

Little Rock Invitational

12th GOLF

photo courtsey of Logan Jessup

Junior Logan Jessup is no stranger to the responsibilities that come with being a student athlete. Jessup talks life before UCA, how he balances his responsibilities and life outside of sports.

Wynne graduate talks life as a Bear, on and off the field

by Olivia Snelson Staff Writer

Logan Jessup, a junior at UCA, is a defensive lineman for the UCA Bears football team.

In the Oct. 17th game against Missouri State, Jessup tied the school record for sacks in a game.

Jessup, who’s originally from Wynne, Ark., grew up playing other sports such as basketball and baseball, but football has always come naturally to him.

“I enjoy playing all sports, and my favorite to play is basketball, however, I was always best at football. I love being a part of a team and working together” Jessup said.

Jessup started playing football in the fourth grade. His initial reason for wanting to play football was because he wanted to hit people without getting in trouble, but now it’s more than that.

“The camaraderie of the locker room and being a family is another reason I really love this game. We have guys from all across the country and we all come together to win games and have fun while we are together,” Jessup said. Jessup has always wanted to play college football and got his first offer to play football in college his sophomore year of high school. It wasn’t until his second semester of his senior year that he finally committed to a college.

“UCA was a winning school football wise. I had other places to go however I felt like this was the best spot for me.

Now here we are 3 years in and I feel that way even more so.

I love it here,” Jessup said.

Jessup says his favorite thing about playing football at UCA is the relationship between the athletes and the coaches. “We have a lot of fun on the field, but the memories and friendships will last a lifetime” said Jessup.

“It takes a lot of discipline. Knowing that you will have to do your assignments early, and communicate with your professors, letting them know when you will be out,” Jessup said.

He says that as an athletic department they do a good job at putting each other up for success. They do this by “taking the hard classes in the offseason and summer and benefiting from tutors and study hours that are assigned from our advisors.”

There’s a big difference being a student athlete.

“It’s very time consuming, that is the biggest difference between a normal student and a student athlete. We have a lot of time commitments,” Jessup said.

Jessup’s major is physical education teacher education with an emphasis on a coaching endorsement.

Outside of football he’s involved in Bears for Christ and is the Vice President of Pi Kappa Alpha.

In his freetime he mostly enjoys going hunting and fishing, and playing Xbox and hanging out with his friends.

Finishing Strong

photo courtesy of UCA Sports

Senior Hadley Dickinson dribbled the ball against Missouri State University in her last season with the Bears. The rest of the Bears will spend the weeks ahead preparing to face Stephen F. Austin in February.

Women’s soccer wins in overtime to finish season

photo courtesy of UCA Sports

Nate Jolly led UCA’s men’s golf team in the 28th Little Rock Invitational with a 220 (+4). The team landed 12th overall in the annual tournament.

UCA men’s golf finish 12th at Little Rock Invitational

by Olyvia Gonzalez Staff Writer

UCA men’s golf team faced rain clouds and stiff competition in the 28th Little Rock Invitational on Oct. 19 through Oct. 20, landing in 12th place. Sophomore Nate Jolly led the team with a 220 (+4) game and finished with a three-way tie in 39th place.

“All the tournaments we play are important but this one is special because it’s close to home,” head of men’s golf coach, Steve Runge said “ We always strive to play the best we can.”

The final score for UCA was 886 (+22). The Little Rock Trojans took home the victory against the Bears after shattering both the program’s single-round and 54-hole tournament records.

“We had high expectations and wanted to go in and win” Jolly said.

“That’s with every tournament, you want to go in with the mindset of let’s win this thing if not you might at well stay home.”

Jolly admitted their game was

somewhat lacking but was pleased with how each team member held one solid round, each.

With 44th place tie and an effort of 222 (+6), sophomore Davis Irving moved up in the rankings; he picked up 3 birdies on the final day, but a total of 9 birdies the entire tournament.

Freshmen, Blaine Calhoon tied for 52nd place after shooting up the leaderboard by 12 spots. He finished with a score of 224 (+8). Overall, it was posted that Calhoon had 7 birdies.

With a recorded eagle and 4 birdies, sophomore, Jakob Lemieux claimed a tie for 59th place. In total, he had a combined tally of 226 (+10).

Two Bears: junior, Miles Smith, and sophomore, Josh Turnock completed the tournament in a tie for 76th. Both of them scored a 232 (+16). Smith jumped to his position on the leaderboard during the last round. His 5 birdies gave him a push in claiming this place. In total, he had 10 birdies within the three rounds.

Turnock completed his last round with a score of 79 (+7). By the

end, he tallied 7 birdies.

The University of Central Arkansas’ golf team has been participating in this tournament since Aug. 2014 and have yet to claim the win for themselves.

Jolly is determined to see a change in the upcoming seasons.

The team plans to practice as much as they can during the off-season.

The Bears will not compete in another tournament in 2020. “We just had some high ones [strokes] among the low ones,” Jolly said about the performance of himself and teammates. “we just need to get more consistent over the offseason to really come out with a bang in the Spring because we have all the talent to go out and win.”

This off-time allows the Bears to get ready for the upcoming La Tour Intercollegiate, which will be held on Feb. 14 in Louisiana.

The event was hosted by UALR in Chenal C.C. Little Rock, Arkansas; to view any stats or upcoming events please check golfstat.com.

Scheduling

by Ian Lyle Opinion Editor

The women’s soccer team finished the fall season by scoring a vital goal in extra time to win 1-0 at Missouri State University, Thursday, Oct. 22.

The game was the team’s third consecutive win of the fall season.

The Bears won eight of their 11 matches, while drawing two and only losing once.

UCA was able to produce 17 shots on target and allowed 7 from Missouri State, but neither side were able to put one in the net by the fulltime whistle.

After the scoreless 90 minutes and a tough battle between both sides, the match was sent into extra time to deem a victor.

The 108th minute brought joy and relief to the Bears as senior midfielder Hadley Dickinson scored the golden goal for UCA to take the lead. The team held the 1-0 lead until the 120th minute, claiming the victory over Missouri State.

“Honestly, it felt amazing,” Dickinson said about her experience scoring the winning goal for her side.

“Just knowing that my team has worked so hard this whole season and it comes down to the last game and we’re in double overtime and there’s one minute left. It just felt so accomplished.”

Explaining her experience in the play of the team’s winning goal, she said, “The time is just ticking down so quickly because we’re in the last minutes of the game.

There was a counter attack for us because the other team kicked the ball and we headed it out. Then Gibby (Abby Gibson) receives

the ball and I’m screaming up the sideline to pass me the ball because they forgot about me, that I’m even over there, and she passes it through two defenders.

Then I beat the keeper and just passed it in with my left foot. It was just so awesome. All the team yelled because they were so happy that we won, and we worked really hard to get that.”

Although his team defeated Missouri State, women’s soccer head coach Jeremy Bishop said they were a tough opponent to face.

“They were a good team and they were able to put some good pressure on us in the midfield,” Bishop said.

“Their backline is pretty solid and they got a forward to create some trouble for our team, but we held them in check and we only limited them probably to a couple of good chances all night. We had several, but didn’t get any to go until the last minute of double overtime.”

“They’re always pretty tough to face, especially this year,” Dickinson said.

“Even though we did play them last Thursday and beat them 3-1, it was a hard-earned three goals. This time we knew it would be even worse because they were out for blood and it was also their senior night. And they’re just a really aggressive, good team so it was hard.”

For what Dickinson believes gave UCA the win in both encounters with Missouri State, she said that it’s the team’s “grit and our willingness to fight until the very end.”

Ending on a win, Bishop said he found the fall season to be successful for the team.

“It was outstanding...to play

the schedule that we did, have so many unknowns and for the team to just stay focused, work hard and progress, and just show up each time and play well. It was just a phenomenal season.

And on top of that, obviously, to get all the results we got is great.

I couldn’t be more pleased with the fall. Hopefully that will be a good springboard for us going into the spring.”

Speculating on progressing for the upcoming spring season, Bishop said, “Heading into the next season, I think we’ve just got to get a little bit better in that attacking third to give ourselves better scoring chances. We’ve got to be able to play combinations to spring players through but that will be a big focus for us.”

“I hope what they always see in us is a team that just works really hard, plays an attractive style of soccer by playing up through the thirds, playing a possessionoriented game that isn’t chaotic but more of a controlled, organized team and that’s what we try to be, and I think we did a good job of that this fall.”

The fall season was Dickinson’s final season playing for the team as she plans to graduate before the next season.

“It’s honestly more than I could have asked for,” Dickinson said, sharing her feelings behind this being her last game for UCA. “It’s really a storybook ending.

I don’t think many players get the opportunity to win the game in double overtime in the last minute with a goal as they end their season playing. It just felt really amazing.”

photo courtesy of UCA Sports

UCA’s volleyball team received news that the uncertain spring season is here to stay. The team will play six home games and six away games, starting in February.

Southland Conference announces modified spring season

by Kaitlin Benight Assistant News Editor

The Southland Conference announced its volleyball conference regular season would be moved to the spring after originally being canceled.

“The conference had not yet decided when they were going to play, all we knew was that the fall was most likely not going to happen, so we scrambled to get games in place with other conferences,” head coach John Newberry said.

Although the team set up 14 matches for the fall, they only played five just in case they went over their allotted number of games, in order to qualify for the spring.

“We wanted all fall sports to be in the fall because we couldn’t guarantee games for our seniors.

A lot of them are either graduating or they’ve got internships or more important things in life,” Newberry said.

The modified conference regular-season schedule will consist of 12 matches instead of the usual 16, beginning on Feb. 2. The schedule will be contingent on health conditions at each university and schools will seek guidance from NCAA and local medical officials.

“The biggest thing is (our players) have to avoid high-risk

scenarios. We’re already risking a lot just by being around each other consistently, but if we remain in our bubble and not allow other things outside to effect anybody then we’ll be okay with not having to worry about COVID,” Newberry said.“There’s no rule saying you can’t have a normal college life, the only rules are if you decide to do something, it’s going to limit you from being able to practice or play.

It’s kind of one of those questions like, how much do you want it?”

UCA’s volleyball team will play six games at home and six away, with their first game set for Feb. 4 at Houston Baptist.